


Dreams May Be Bad But Life Is Beautiful

by wicked_sugar



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Endgame Spoilers, Avengers Family, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Clintasha - Freeform, Fixing Endgame, Happy Ending, M/M, Science Bros, Science Bros Family, Science Husbands, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, all good things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-02-29 04:21:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18771100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wicked_sugar/pseuds/wicked_sugar
Summary: A little fixing Endgame story with Tony and Bruce.





	Dreams May Be Bad But Life Is Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> First and most importation *ENDGAME SPOILERS AHEAD*. This is my small fix it fic for Endgame. I’m not at all happy with how Endgame went and what was done with so many characters I love. I haven’t seen Endgame yet but I knew enough thanks to friends who have seen and Tumblr. In my time line when Tony, Peter, Strange and most the Guardians of Galaxy tried in Infinity War to remove the Gauntlet, well they got it off and killed Thanos. So Endgame never happened in this time line. As with most of my Science Bros stories Tony and Pepper were never together as couple, their close friends but more like brother and sister. This just my small way of giving to at least four of the original six Avengers the happy ending they deserved (of course as I see it). I hope you all like this, please leave me a comment and let to know what you think.
> 
> Huge shout out and hugs to my beta Melanie_L, couldn't of done this without her, I'm a better writer because of her!!

Bruce woke up screaming, sweat coating his skin and dampening his hair. Strong arms wrapped around him, a deep voice speaking to him in soothing tones, but the ringing in his ears made the voice muffled. Finally, after the ringing started to quiet, the voice he loved so very much broke through.

“Bruce, hey buddy, are you ok? Please say something, do you need something, just tell me.” The soothing tones were painted with concern and a rush of worry. 

Bruce’s brown eyes met Tony’s, as if just realizing the man was there. “Ton…Tony… you’re all right… oh my god Tony.” Before Tony could respond, he had a lapful of shaking, sobbing Bruce, clinging to him. Completely bewildered, Tony tightened his arms around his husband, lovingly rubbing gentle circles into his back.

Bruce just held on tight to him, the nightmare or night terror had felt so real, it was so vivid. Watching Tony, then Natasha fall, no longer alive. Seeing everyone else fighting for their lives, it had been a horror scene Bruce hoped to never see again. He hadn’t been able to get to Tony or Natasha even as, somehow, he had been the Hulk, or he and the Hulk had been one again. He had been frozen in place, unable to help or save the people he loved most in the world. His body shook harder as another round of sobs came over him.

Tony wrapped the sheet and blankets around them, making a cocoon in their bed to keep Bruce warm and so he didn’t get a chill. Bruce hadn’t had a nightmare this bad in awhile and it worried him. Hearing Bruce scream was a sound that Tony never wanted to hear. It scared the shit out of him. Seeing the man he loved in pain wasn’t something Tony handled well. He started to gently rock Bruce as he continued to rub his back. Tony would gladly sit for hours holding Bruce no matter the reason, especially if it helped Bruce after one of his night terrors. 

Bruce sucked in all the love Tony so freely gave. Snuggling deeper into their embrace, ear pressed against Tony’s chest, the beating of his heart strong and steady, listening to that wonderful sound of him breathing, feeling him solid and whole. It helped calm Bruce’s own heartbeat, helped him focus on what was real and what was just a nightmare. Bruce wrapped his arms around Tony’s chest.

“I’m gonna call the compound to make sure Hulk’s okay.” 

Bruce nodded his head, tucked under Tony’s chin.

“Hey J, call the Avenger’s compound, would you.”

“Of course, sir,” came Jarvis’ reply.

After just a few moments the phone began ringing. “Hey Tony, why you up so late?” Natasha asked looking, at the clock that read 2:37 am. 

“Nat, hey, will you go check on Hulk? Bruce had a real doozy of a nightmare. Just wanted to make sure the big guy’s all right.”

“Yeah, sure, of course, it’s been quiet here so hopefully he’s fine. Still worried about the sharing of consciousness issue between him and Bruce?” Natasha asked, as she started walking over Hulk’s part of the compound, which included all things Hulk-size: a bedroom, a gym/smash room, an area where he could do art and read, even a Hulk-sized bathroom. She hadn’t heard anything but it never hurt to check. When she reached Hulk’s bedroom, she looked inside. There, all tucked in bed, was a sleeping Hulk holding on to the Iron Man teddy bear Tony had made for him. Natasha couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah Tony, Hulk’s fine. Sound asleep. He’s rather cute, if I do say so myself.”

Tony let out a sigh of relief. “That’s great, thanks for checking, Nat.”

“No problem. How is Bruce?”

The sobbing had stopped but Bruce had yet to say anything or lift his head. But Tony knew that was because Bruce was allowing the sounds of Tony’s heartbeat and breathing help him calm down.

“I’m okay Nat, thanks,” Bruce said quietly.

“I’m glad, Bruce.”

“You really should be getting some sleep,” Tony said in concerned tone of voice.

Nat laughed, “Yes Dad, you’re almost worse than Clint and it’s his fault I’m up. The little munchkin in my belly is a night owl.” She absent-mindedly rubbed circles over her very pregnant belly. 

“Only three more months, then the little guy can keep you up from the outside,” Tony laughed.

Nat laughed again. “Yeah, but then his daddy can get up with him.” 

“Sleep. I’ll talk to you later.” The line disconnected with the sound of Natasha’s laugh.

Tony lovingly rubbed Bruce’s shoulders in the same affectionate manner he had the man’s back. “How are you feeling, love?” he asked.

“Better, I’m sorry I woke you.”

“Hey, none of that, you never have to apologize. We both have PTSD; we each wake up due to nightmares, it’s nothing either of us can control.” 

“I know”, Bruce said, nodding his head. “Doesn’t mean I like it. I’m glad that Hulk didn’t have to experience that kind of nightmare. It seems we figured out how to stop the consciousness connection between us.”

“Yes, now you two are truly your own separate persons. I’m glad I get to keep both of you and not see you merged into one. That would be just wrong to both of you.” 

“Me too,” Bruce agreed.

“How about a warm shower to keep the chill away?”

Bruce had calmed down, slowly the tangles of the terror dream had slipped away. He felt clammy in damp pajamas. “Yes, that sounds brilliant.”

Tony unwrapped that blankets from around them, offering Bruce his hand. They walked into the bathroom hand in hand. 

“J, turn on the shower to the gentle setting and set it to 70 degrees.” The water in the huge shower stall started to flow, filling the room with the tranquil sound of rain from the shower head.

“Gentle setting on, sir. How are you feeling, Bruce?”

“Better Jarvis, thank you.”

“I’m relieved Bruce.” The A.I. did sound relieved.

After having helped Bruce remove his pajamas, the two men stepped into the shower and allowed the warming flow of water to drench them both. This had become something of a ritual for them after either of them had a night terror as a way to help clear their minds completely so the nightmare didn’t haunt them and make it impossible to go back to sleep and affect the rest of their day. Tony took the body wash off the shelf that was built into the wall of the shower, filling his palm with silken cream colored soap. Closing the bottle and placing it back on the shelf, he rubbed his hands together, he started at Bruce’s neck rubbing the tension away, moving slowly to the other man’s shoulders, while keeping his touch relaxed so Bruce could hopefully go back to sleep. Bruce leaned back into Tony’s amazingly strong hands, allowing himself to let the last of the horrible feeling from the night terror completely leave him, focusing on Tony’s touch alone. Soapy hands slid down his chest to his hips, moving back up to his arms and down to each finger as if pulling all tension from his being. 

Tony hands traveled over Bruce’s butt, down his strong thighs, down equally strong calves, hoping to remove as much stress from Bruce’s body as he could. Tony let the water wash the remains of the soap from his hands, Bruce stood with his head back allowing the water to rush over him. Tony pumped a small amount of shampoo into his palm; he started working it into Bruce’s wonderfully soft salt and pepper curls. Tony encouraged Bruce to lean fully against his own strong frame. It was one of Bruce’s very favorite things. Tony massaged his fingers gently into Bruce’s scalp. He loved that he could do this for his husband, he loved being able to take care of Bruce. Once all the soap was washed off Bruce, Tony had Jarvis stop the shower. Getting a body towel, he wrapped it around Bruce, then got a smaller one to dry his hair.

“Think you can sleep now?” Tony asked, as he kissed Bruce’s neck. 

Bruce nodded his head. “I just want check on Morgan first; I just need to see her.”

Tony wrapped his hands around Bruce’s waist. “Of course, love.”

After changing into clean pjs, Bruce took a hold of Tony’s hand as they walked down the short distance from their own bedroom to their daughter’s nursery, it was painted to look like a mystical forest, inhabit by fairies, sprites and magical animals. The ceiling of the nursery recreated the night sky of their daughter’s birth using small LED lights. There sound asleep in a sled shaped crib was their daughter, Morgan Maria Stark, dark brown curls caressing her forehead, her little thumb in her mouth, sucking away. She was the sweetest sight both Tony and Bruce had even seen, she was their world. Bruce finally felt he could safely get back to sleep now. 

Resting his head on Tony’s shoulder, he sighed. “I still can’t believe we have a daughter, she’s perfect.”

Tony smiled; he never would have thought a conversation he’d had with Bruce in their shared lab right before Thanos decided to try to ruin their lives would one day become a reality. But here they stood watching their daughter sleep. Once again, he thanked Pepper for being willing to be their surrogate and Bruce’s cousin Jennifer for giving them her ovum so their daughter could truly be theirs, having both her dads’ DNA. He was grateful everyday that with Peter’s help and that of an oddball space family, they got the shiny glove of destiny off Thanos’ hand and defeated the bastard before he could do his snap of death and fuck their lives up in a million different ways.

He slipped an arm around Bruce’s waist, holding him close. He finally had the family he’d always wanted and he wouldn’t allow anything to destroy it or take him away from them. He also knew that Morgan would be surrounded by more love than she knew what to do with, with a collection of extraordinary people which included an older brother in Peter, in addition to too many aunts and uncles to name, some very loving bots, an A.I. that couldn’t wait to teach their daughter everything, and very soon a cousin too. Morgan would never have to know a world where she wasn’t loved or wanted. With both he and Bruce there every step of the way. 

The End


End file.
